“I miss Mommy,” I admitted.
“I miss Mommy, too.”
“Me, too,” Essence confessed.
“I know.”
I urged them both to rest on my chest. As they laid, my conversation with my mother resumed.
“You’re a great father, Luca.”
“Appreciate that, Mom.”
“Can you get your brother onboard?”
“I think I have a better chance with Lyric.”
“You’re right. I’m not even ready for a little Laike. I don’t even want to imagine what kind of torture that looks like.”
Chuckling, I nodded. When Laike was ready, I just hoped we all were around to see his minis roaming earth. Lyric, I was ready for her to fall head over heels with someone worthy of her energy and love before giving us the children she’d always promised herself in her thirties.
“Thank you, Luca.”
“No problem.”
“I love you, son.”
“Always,” I declared.
“I’m going to let you go so that you can get the girls to bed. If you need me, call me. My phone will be near.”
“OK. Can you do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Tell Pops to meet me at the warehouse in the next two hours.”
“He’s already on it.”
“That wasn’t the favor.”
“I’ll be there. Just get them to bed.”
“Thanks.”
“Anything for y’all, Luca. You know this already.”
I ended the call and rested my head on the dresser behind me. Both girls were still resting on my chest. I considered staying right on the floor and falling asleep with them right where they were, but I knew they needed a good scrubbing and to be in their beds. Me, on the other hand, I had business to tend to.
“Come on, girls. Let’s get you cleaned and in your pajamas.”
Because I knewthat Essence could handle her own, I gave her a little privacy by choosing a bath for Emorey while she showered a few feet away. She asked if I could keep the door open so that I could see her, still afraid that I’d disappear at any moment.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I reminded them every few minutes.
Emorey’s lack of independence was a clear sign she was fighting some tough emotions internally. She was always trying to wipe herself down without assistance. It didn’t matter if it was me or Ever bathing her, there was always a twenty-minute-long protest in the bathroom at night. Not this time, though. My Em stood still and straight while I cleaned her twice.
“Did anyone do anything bad to you, Em?” I was led to ask.
